Posing in a blue-green room Eli Goldstein and Soul Clap

We are Upstate with Eli Goldstein of Soul Clap

By Doreen Johnson | Inside+Out | June 16, 2024

Eli Goldstein is a DJ, music producer and the co-founder of Soul Clap Records, based in the Hudson Valley. With a career spanning over 20 years of music and beyond, Eli has and does wear many hats. Many will know Eli from his eclectic vinyl house music and disco-spinning sets throughout the Hudson Valley (Disco Chalet and Catskill Roller Disco, anyone?) Eli and Soul Clap have built an international following with their dance music, activism, regenerative commitment, and vision for leaving the planet and her ecosystems better than how they found it. In celebration of this vision and ethos, Eli has founded the upcoming Future Sound Of Nature Music Festival. Here are the details for this hot Hudson Valley happening!

The Future Sound Of Nature Festival is a regenerative electronic music festival in Oak Hill, New York, in the foothills of the Catskills Mountains. The festival’s mission is to celebrate and support the people and ecosystems of the Catskills and Hudson Valley by dancing to local DJs, eating local food, nurturing local connections, and stewarding local habitats. Committed to leaving the community and land better than they found them – Goldstein and his team are dedicated to planting seeds, growing community, sprouting joy and inspiring action.

A Regenerative Electronic Music Festival Celebrating
the People and Ecosystems of the Catskills and Hudson Valley
June 21-23, 2024 | Get Tickets: futuresoundofnature.com
See the full weekend schedule HERE | including all DJs, performances, wellness + nature programming

The Future Sound of Nature Festival @futuresoundofnature takes place at Locust Grove (@locustgroveny), a magical oasis in Oak Hill, New York. In recent years, the venue has been home to several legendary electronic music and cultural events. It features an indoor nightclub, a swimming hole, camping, and lots of land to relax and explore. The programming for the festival features 2 days and nights of DJs and live electronic music, local food pop-ups, holistic practitioners, nature education, and community organizations.

The FSON DJ lineup features artists with deep ties to the region, including Bill Patrick, Community Rave Network, DeeDee Dame, Dreamy, Greem Jellyfish, Jams Bond, Laura Lynn, Sister Zo, Soul Clap, Uncle Rudy b2b Pretty Woman and Wolf + Lamb and more. Live electronic/ambient performances will take place at The Creek (complete with waterfall), and will feature Abby Echiverr, Ben Sereten, Blacklauren, Bryan Kasenic, Friends Meeting, M. Geddes Gengras, Maria Puente Flores, Nyhne, Tiokasin and Phil Yeah.

And now, let’s get to know Eli Goldstein…

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Eli Goldstein: I’m originally from Cambridge, MA. I was a nomadic DJ for a decade before settling in NYC. Then, my wife and I got invited by a group of friends to help buy an old summer camp in Milan, NY (it’s kind of like a modern version of a commune; we each renovated our own cottage, a former camper bunkhouse). Then, our daughter was born in Northern Dutchess in Rhinebeck in 2018, and we realized that living up here felt so much more natural than being in the city, so we moved full-time.

Tell us about your background in music. How did you get your start as a DJ?

I played saxophone when I was a kid. My dad is a jazz head, so I was really into jazz, which brought me to acid jazz, hip,-hop and trip-hop, and then electronic music like jungle and house. I got curious about DJing and started trying to scratch on my dad’s turntable until I got caught. Then my friend brought me to a rave, and I danced all night until they opened the doors and the sunbeams lit up the dancefloor. After that, I knew I would be a DJ, so I worked at the local pharmacy until I saved enough money to buy turntables and a mixer. Then, I started a DJ business with my best friend. Since then, I’ve never had another job and I’m so grateful to have been able to share music for a living.

Describe the style of music you produce, electronica or house music. What drew you to this music, and who are your influences?

My music style is rooted in the house but takes influences from many genres. I learned from an early mentor named Caril Mitro that “House Wears Many Hats,” which means that it includes a musical flavor in the pot and makes it more delicious. My music includes major funk and jazz influences, such as Soul Clap (with my partner Charles Levine). We’re always experimenting with different styles when I produce (we just dropped a jungle song on our latest EP). I still play mostly vinyl in my DJ sets, and I’m always digging for new music that could be old or old music that could be new. My sets are eclectic, running through house, disco, funk, techno, drum + bass–whatever fits and gets the dancefloor moving.

What is your creative process?

It’s always changing, but lately, I’ve been getting lots of inspiration from nature. I either record sounds around where I live or utilize field recordings from around the world. My goal is to bring nature to the dancefloor to help us all connect more deeply with the world around us.

Where do you record? Do you work with local studios or record on your own?

I just finished building a studio in my garage. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve had a real studio, and I’ve been spending most of my time there.

You DJ and partner to produce many events in and around the Hudson Valley. Tell us more about this.

Since moving to the Hudson Valley, my goal has been to connect with the local electronic music community and do my part to help it grow. The scene here has really blossomed over the last few years, and it’s very inspiring to be a part of it. I’m really close with Sean Nutley, who is an amazing connector and one of the driving forces behind The Stockade Faire, Disco Chalet (with Laura Lynn Leland), and Catskill Roller Disco (with Zev from Wolf + Lamb), so I usually play those events. I also want to send a big shout-out to Community Rave Network, Kingston Techno, and Primal Disco, who are organizing amazing events!

Tell us about your upcoming shows and where you’re playing locally, including the forthcoming Future Sound of Nature Festival.

Future Sound Of Nature is a regenerative electronic music festival that celebrates and supports the people and ecosystems of the Catskills, Hudson Valley and beyond. It’s taking place June 21-23 at the Dope Jams festival site in Oak Hill near Durham. It features 2 days and nights of dancing outside during the day and inside at night. It is an ambient stage hosted by Going In Healing by the Creek, local food, practitioners, nature education, planting, and Family Day on Sunday with Hila The Earth performing live. I’ve worked at the intersection of climate and electronic music for over a decade with my organization, DJs For Climate Action. This festival is an opportunity to take that work to the next level and help us remember that WE ARE ALL NATURE.